Tales of Mischief
by ZeroLuver567
Summary: A collection of one shots about Jack and the other Guardians in their adventures. Ever since his has joined the Guardians Jack has been a source of mischief, and has changed the dynamics of their group. This series will be exploring their new lives together. There will be some shipping, but I am doing this for fun so I will try not to force my ships upon you too much.
1. Chapter 1

**So, new series of One Shots for my new favorite fandom... **

**I have so many other fanfics to finish...**

**I apologize in advance...**

**I'm a slow updater. **

The wind howled around him, shaking the glass of his bedroom window in Santoff Claussen. He thought about stopping the storm but found that he couldn't. His turbulent emotions would not allow him to.

As the snow and ice slapped against the window panes Jack sat in a corner of his room, hood up, tracing frost patterns in the dark wood panels. He couldn't help but feel like a failure. Everything he touched seemed to fall apart in his hands, toys, plants, relationships. Especially relationships.

Earlier that day he had gotten into his worst argument ever. It had been an accident, really. All he had wanted was from attention from her. Every time she spoke to him he could feel his heart race, and butterflies race around his stomach in confusion. He didn't understand the feeling and he thought that if he talked to her he would be able to figure out what the feelings really meant.

Tooth however, had hardly noticed him when he had shown up to the Tooth Palace. She raced right by him multiple times, completely ignoring him, even when Baby Tooth had come over to greet him. He couldn't help but getting a little frustrated after the tenth time. Baby Tooth had tried to stop him, but in a fit of frustration and anger he had encased half her castle and the surrounding fairies in a coating of ice.

Tooth had been furious and to be honest he didn't remember much of the argument. He had unfrozen her fairies and left, completely forgetting about the castle in his haste to get away. He wasn't used to conflicts with anyone but Bunny, and their arguments were usually more playful, not serious like the one he had had with Tooth. He suspected it wasn't really as bad as he was making it out to be, but he was scarred. Of all of the people he knew Tooth was the one he least wanted to anger.

He could hear the hustle and bustle of the workshop outside of this bedroom door. Usually it was quiet in this area of the castle, he suspected that the reason was because he made it so cold, but today the yeti's seemed to be in a rush.

Any other day Jack would be taking advantage of this situation to freeze some elves and create general chaos, but he wasn't feeling up to it today. He was starting to feel lonely, however. He wondered how long it would take before someone came looking for him.

-Line Break-

North could feel that something was off. He couldn't quite place why he felt this. The yeti's were working harder than ever to prepare for this years Christmas. The elves were eating all his cookies and generally getting in his way, per the usual. His work was going completely undisturbed otherwise, his office quiet, except for the storm raging outside.

The storm. Something was off about it.

The first thought he had was off Jack, whose emotional connection to the storms he creates had caused problems before. North suspected that something was wrong with the youngest member of their group. His belly had yet to prove him wrong, in any case. He abandoned his work and made his way to the winter spirits room, weaving in and out around the scurrying elves.

The room was dark, but in Jack's case it didn't mean much. He disliked fire, and he always seemed to prefer his room to be cold with the fireplace, the only source of light, unlit. It made North uncomfortable to be in such darkness since the fight with Pitch and he constantly worried for Jack's safety.

He knocked on the door softly, listening closely for any signs of Jack actually being inside. He heard nothing but the howling wind, the spirits constant companion. This was proof enough for North, and he pushed up against the door. The wind was fighting against him, but he managed to overpower it. Once he had the door open he was greeted with the sight of a depressed winter spirit.

"Jack!" North pressed his way through the wind and blowing snow, eventually making it to the spirits side. Jack didn't even seem to notice his presence, continuing to trace patterns in the wood.

"Jack? Are you alright?"

Jack reacted to his voice, jumping and the wind stopping momentarily, before restarting again, faster than before. North sheltered his face from hailstones as Jack slowly calmed down from his scare, and the wind stopped completely.

"Sorry," North apologized, "Didn't mean to startle."

Jack removed his hood, shaking his hair so it fell back into place.

"It's okay. I shouldn't have let myself get that distracted."

Jack reached for his staff, placing it in between the two of them. He seemed wary to North, like he was afraid of contact. The thought made him feel discouraged.

"What's bothering you Jack?" North sat down next to him, noticing Jack's guarded expression. It wasn't the reaction North had been expecting. He had thought Jack was starting to trust them more now. Jack's cold silence served only to prove him wrong.

"You know you can trust me, Jack," North saw Jack glance away and go back to tracing intricate designs in the floor, some of which were actually rather impressive.

"I got in a fight with Tooth…" Jack said, so soft that North almost didn't hear him.

"And you're worried that the relationship is ruined?" North didn't press as to what the fight was about. He knew Jack needed his space, and time to cool down. What North needed to focus on is helping him address his fears. The spirit was like a son to him, and he couldn't bear to see him hurting.

"Yeah… I'm not good…with this whole relationships thing. And I messed up bad this time." Jack sighed and put his face in his hands.

"Tooth is not going to stay mad for long…" North said, gingerly reaching out to touch the spirit on the shoulder. He was glad when Jack let him; it wasn't often that Jack allowed any sort of close contact.

"I don't know… how to fix it," Jack said miserably.

"How you ever thought about… talking to her?"

Jack seemed horrified by the idea, and stared at North like he had suggested that he travel to the equator and die of heat exhaustion.

North laughed at his expression, "It's a normal thing to do, Jack. It's how people fix relationships."

"Or break them," Jack muttered. North sighed.

"If you don't try than how can you be so sure? I guarantee that Tooth will forgive you, Jack, no matter what you did. You just need to give her a chance too."

Jack seemed to ponder this, letting out a sigh.

"I guess you're right. I'll try it," Jack sent North a small smile, "Thanks North."

North grinned back and enveloped him in a hug, noticing how the winter spirit tensed up and then relaxed in his embrace.

"You're welcome."

**PART 2 MAYBE?**


	2. Chapter 2: Finished

**Part 2 as promised~**

Tooth was fluttering around her palace, heart pounding faster than her hummingbird wings. It had been a silly argument really; she had simply been startled by his presence. Her best guess was that he had come just to get some attention. She shouldn't have reacted the way that she did.

The damage was done however and now Tooth didn't know how to fix it. Jack was sensitive and didn't like being pressured. She wanted to chase him down but he would probably just run away. Like he always did.

That was one thing about Jack that she constantly felt guilty about; even though he constantly told her it wasn't her fault. He was so used to being alone that he never let them help him with his problems. He had a fight or flight reflex when it came to social interaction and he usually chose flight first. She knew he would never admit it but Jack was afraid of placing trust in them. Being hurt again was one of the things he wanted to avoid, and Tooth could understand that.

That didn't make her feel any less guilty.

Tooth was so busy fluttering around and worrying about what to do when she ran smack into something cold.

Cold…. And human.

"Jack!" Tooth pulled back, startled by his sudden reappearance, "I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!"

Jack gave her a small, nervous smile, completely unlike his usual carefree grin.

"It's okay. You looked pretty lost in thought."

Tooth's heart was racing. She didn't know what to say or do, now that he was in front of her. She wanted to apologize for her behavior, and try and rebuild what small trust they had built up.

"Jack… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten mad over something so silly."

Jack seemed a little surprised that she had spoken first. He looked down at his bare feet, studying the still melting ice on the ground.

They remained that way for what seemed like eternity. Tooth was freaking out internally. She wanted this to go well. She didn't want everything they had been through to be for nothing. She liked him gosh darn it!

Why wasn't he saying anything?! Tooth was on the verge of panicking and breaking the silence herself, when Jack raised his head to look at her.

"I'm sorry for freezing the palace. I should have had more control…"

Tooth sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, smiling softly.

"I forgive you Jack. Okay?"

Jack smiled softly, and Tooth could see the relief in his eyes. It made her heart flutter inside her chest. It looked they were back on their way to becoming friends again.

"Thanks Tooth… I…" he trailed off, staring intently into her eyes. It made her nervous, but not uncomfortable. Just a little self-conscious.

"Tell you what Jack. Why don't you come with me tonight?" as soon as the words were out of her mouth she was rewarded with a bright yet confused smile. She knew that Jack, even if he was now part of the Guardians, he still tended to be a loner. He was constantly looking for chances to prove himself, as if he needed to. Tooth simply wanted to become closer to him, as a friend.

Maybe one day, they could become something more.

You never know where the future will take you.

**NO official Jack x Tooth romance yet... but its my favorite pairing so I'll write that in eventually. **

**Any requests for the next story? I'll write anything as long as it's not yaoi. I'll even do crossovers if I'm familiar with the characters. **

**Also: Should I do any Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons? I'll post a poll so you guys can vote! **

**Thanks~**

**ZeroLuver~**


	3. IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE

**Ok I am taking this opportunity to apologize for my lack of updates. **

**I won't make excuses, I'm just lazy so I am going to get a few points across..**

**1. As of this moment my only active stories are Tales of Mischief and Remember Me. I may update some others if I have time, but as of right now those two are my priorities. I would never get anything done otherwise.**

**2.I'm writing a Doctor Who fanfic... It contains OC's and I'm not sure if I should post it or not... It delves into the possibility of 11 and River having a child and the possibility of 10.2 and Rose having kids. Usual running, people getting killed, and enemies to defeat... I'm just wondering if anyone would read it.**

**3. Summer has just started for me (technically in two days but they're half days so they don't count)... but I'm taking some online latin courses before its over, so I'll try and update as often as I can before that slows me down. I'll also be a senior... oh boy**

**4. I'm going to Anime Expo here in Cali... I'm going as Jack Frost. Anyone going to be there?**

**5. Please, don't give up on me. I'm a lazy little shit but I promise to do my best in the upcoming chapters. **

**I guess that's it. I'll get back to writing updates :) Look forward to it**

**Love~**

**ZeroLuver**


	4. Chapter 3:The Story of Jack

**I'll try not to write too many aus... after all this is not a crossover fic. But I thought I would give it a try and see what happens. **

**Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons**

**Hogwarts AU**

Jack sighed, staring at the ceiling of his dungeon bedroom at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Being in Slytherian was so BORING. But not unexpected he guessed.

He was a muggle-born wizard, the only thing exciting about him being his mop of bright silver hair and staff in place of a wand. He had been born into a farming family, his parents insistent on doing things the old way despite the modern technology available to them. He had received the staff at a very young age and put to work herding sheep. It came as no surprise that it worked better than his wand, which was still stuffed at the bottom of his trunk, where it had been since a failed attempted to use it as a first year.

He was a seventh year now, eighteen years old, and more than ready to leave the castle and move on with his life. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do yet. He wasn't like most kids. He was a prankster, always grating on the edge of expulsion. Snape had kept telling him he was destined to get himself killed. Draco had tried once, actually. That had been a hilarious attempt.

They were gone now though. Snape had died the year before, in the Battle of Hogwarts and Draco had left the school far behind him a long time ago, as well as Harry Potter and his group of friends. It didn't matter to him much he had only had a few conversations with the lot of them. Still, he remembered the battle vividly.

As did his friends. Merida and Rapunzel had both lost friends in that battle. Hiccup had finally shown an ounce of that Gryfindor bravery, and had done well. As for Jack…

Well it didn't matter now anyways. The war was over, the Dark Lord was defeated and night was falling. The Halloween feast was going to be served soon and Jack had every intention of making it the most spectacular event in Hogwarts history.

He rolled off the bed and adjusted his robes. No more lazing around. He grabbed his staff and stalked out the door, making his careful way out of the dungeons. It would not do to get caught outside the Great Hall by Filch.

"There you are! I thought you were never going to show up!"

Jack chuckled as Hiccup came out of his hiding place.

"Are the others ready."

"As they'll ever be. Rapunzel still has her doubts though. Do you really think this will help?"

"The war was a year ago…" said Jack, "It's about time that these sad faces turned upside down."

Jack and Hiccup stalked down the empty hall, hoods up and weapons drawn. Merida and Rapunzel were standing by the doors to the hall, ready to open them at his command. Merida's eyes sparkled with mirth and mischief. Jack smiled at that, he had trained them well. The Hufflepuff tossed her curly hair over her shoulder and glanced at Rapunzel, and unspoken signal crossing over to the Ravenclaw girl.

"Ready?" Jack asked.

"Ready?" said Hiccup.

Hiccup ran up to the door and helped the others push it open, slipping through the opening and letting lose a non-verbal spell. The whole of the Great Hall went dark as every candle went out. A few kids were smart enough to try using Lumos but for the most part the students were startled. A couple of first years even screamed.

"Relax little ones. I'm not here to hurt you." Hiccup had his wand pointed at his throat, his false, deep voice booming out across the Great Hall. "In fact, I am here to tell you a story. If you will pipe down and listen.

The Hall became quiet, even the teachers and Headmistress seemed intrigued. So far so good.

"In the muggle world there are stories. Fairy tales you would call them. Some say that a broken mirror is seven years of bad luck. Others say that black cats are unlucky, like the number thirteen.

"But those are not the stories I came to tell today. Tonight I will tell you the story of heros. The greatest beings in the universe. They are called the Guardians.

"Some of you may have heard of them, Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and the Easter Bunny. What most of you don't know is that there is a fifth member.

"He is a bringer of winter, chaos and destruction. At least that's what their enemies would like you to believe. In truth, aside from bringing about the change from fall to winter, Jack Frost is full of mischief, and cares more for children than many would chose to believe. He is kind, caring, and pretty much as fun of an immortal as any.

"And he has taken a special interest in you. The war has ended, but all these sad faces trouble him. He has lost much, he understands your pain. But why continue to be sad? There is peace. Tremulous as it is, there is no reason to be sad. It's a new year, a new life. And this is his gift to you..

Jack took his cue and pointed his staff at the ceiling, whispering a spell that ran down the length if his staff, crackling blue before shooting into the sky, raining snow down on the unsuspecting students. The affect was instantaneous. Fist years began to laugh and leaned back to catch the snow on their tongues. The others came in behind Jack, closing the doors. Rapunzel whispered a spell to relight the candles, revealing the four of them to the entire hall. At that point however they were all distracted, for a school wide snowball fight had ensued. Only Headmistress McGonegall was looking at them. And she was smiling, for the first time in months.

Something wet hit Jack in the back of the head and he turned around to face Hiccup who was grinning ear to ear, hiding something behind his back.

"Gotcha first!" he laughed.

"You'll pay for that!" Jack grinned and used his staff to create ammo. Rapunzel and Merida joined in the fight and by the end of dinner, the Great Hall was a mess, and everyone, even the most stingy Slytherians, were laughing.

In the end they had been forced to clean it up and had gotten firm reprimanding by McGonegall. But they also received her thanks, for finally putting a smile of the children's faces.

And that was all the thanks they needed.


	5. Chapter 4: The London Blitz

**The next three one shots are based on idea from: jackfrost-guardian-of-fun from tumblr who asked for a disaster, bombing or zombie apocalypse.**

**Prompt 1: London Blitz ( I apologize for any historical inaccuracies. I'm a bit of a history nut so I think my information was pretty accurate but I didn't double check. I know it began in September 1940 and ended May 1941, so there was a winter period in there somewhere. This isn't really about WWII anyway as it is about Jack. )  
**

Jack leaned up against the clock at the top of Big Ben, looking out down on the burning city below. He had always loved London, during the winter he always made a point of visiting, though the rainy country never seemed to retain the snow for long. When he first became a spirit, after he finally got up the nerve to fly across the Atlantic, England had been the first county he had come across. He had been fascinated with their funny accents and queer habits, so different than the American colonists he had been so used to watching.

Now it was 1940, the city was burning and there was nothing he could do. He was invisible, per the usual, and the German bombs raining down seemed to be sucking all of the hope children might have been clinging too. Hundreds of little ones had been shipped off in trains, in hopes of saving them from the blood bath. The streets were full of death and carnage, fires and rubble in place of grand houses, and corpses where there had once been living mothers and fathers.

It wasn't as if Jack had never seen war before. He had brought winter to the battlegrounds during the Revolution and World War I, as well as so many others. It was part of his job, now matter how much he hated looking at the carnage. So many soldiers had died in his snow storms, not that he had ever meant it. Their dying breaths still haunted him, and some nights even appeared in his nightmares.

There was a lull in the bombing and some brave souls ventured out into the streets. Jack caught a flash of bright pink on the street below and he decided to investigate. No one ever went outside in bright colors anymore, it presented too much of a target.

The source of the color was a little girl, no more than 11. She was laying over the body of an older woman, presumably her mother. Of to the side was a dark green coat, slick with dark red blood and layered in a fine covering of dust. She much have thrown if off in her rush to reach her fallen parent.

Jack saw that the woman's head was bashed in, her once fine features distorted by the brick that had landed on her head. Her teeth were cracked, and bone was protruding in places where bone was not supposed to be showing. Her jaw and her nose had been broken, though the nose appeared to be an older wound, and her skull split open. It was gruesome sight.

The girl had her head buried in the woman's chest, her little body shaking. Her blonde curls were soaking up her mother's blood.

The sight broke Jack's heart. No child ever deserved to see their parents die. This is why he absolutely hated war. It brought nothing but sadness, pain, and suffering. He couldn't stand to see the children cry.

"Please… anyone. Help."

Jack watched helplessly, knowing full well that the girl couldn't see him. He wanted to help so badly, he always did. But even if he could he would just make it worse.

The girl was coughing in between sobs and he realized that she must be ill. He reached out despite himself and pressed his fingers delicately up against her forehead. He expected to pass right through her but instead the heat from her fever and her skin became a tangible thing in his hands.

It was the last thing he expected, and he recoiled in shock, withdrawing his hand. He shouldn't be able to touch her; he didn't even have any believers. His heart was racing, and he tried to squash down his rising hopes. He reached out again, and smiled when he achieved the same results.

"Hey…" he said softly.

The girl raised her head up and his breath caught in his throat. **She could hear him.**

"Hello?" she blinked away her tears and looked at him. Not through him or in his general direction, but AT HIM.

All of the sudden he was at a loss for words. This little girl could see him. She needed help. And he had no idea how to help her.

"Who are you?"

He was half expecting the question and he let himself smile. It had been a long time since he had talked to anyone.

"I'm Jack Frost. Who are you?"

"Like the spirit? My mum used to tell me stories about a spirit of winter," she fell into a coughing fit and her arms gave out underneath her. Jack caught her before she could do a face plant into her mother's mutilated form and pulled her off the body, into his arms. He was afraid that she would freeze up against him, but instead she nuzzled into his shirt. She was burning up, and he dimly realized that she was dying. Not from the bombs, but from illness and malnourishment. ""I'm Elizabeth… like Queen Elizabeth the First."

"Yes Elizabeth, just like him," Jack laid his staff down next to him and sat down on the ground so that she was in a more comfortable position. She was too weak to stand.

"Mum said I was dying… and that she wanted me to have one more look outside before I went… not much too look at though," she said softly, "I never expected the city to be… so empty."

Jack tightened his grip on her, biting his lip to keep himself from getting emotional. The girl was dying, and had been through more than she should have at her age. Judging by her appearance she wasn't from the most well off of families, which might explain why she had yet to leave with the other children. She may not have any place to go.

"Mum said that after the war we would go to America to start over. Of course that was before the bombing started. She said that there, during the winter, there are piles of snow on the ground. I've never actually seen snow. I was always working in the factory and couldn't go outside to see it…" She fell into another coughing fit and moaned softly.

Jack pushed her blood stained hair away from her fore head. Even with his freezing body pressed against hers she was sweating. And fading fast. It took a bit of effort, since it wasn't already snowing, and the fires sucked the cold right out of the air, but he started a light snowfall over London. It was winter here, though technically the city could probably do without snow for now, he wasn't going to let this child die without getting her wish.

"Did you do that?" she asked in a raspy voice. Her tired eyes were wide open and she was smiling weakly. She reached up to grab a snowflake, but missed and it landed on her nose.

Jack laughed softly, and kissed her nose, "Of course I did. I'm Jack Frost."

"Yes, you are," she giggled, but her happy mood didn't last long as she fell into another coughing fit.

"Can you stay with me? Until I die at least…"

Jack ran his fingers through her hair, "Isn't there anything else I can do? Take you somewhere?"

"Mum said it was too late to save me, and even if it wasn't there's no way to pay for medicine. Mum was all I had. Besides the hospitals are already full with the sick and injured. I'm a lost cause, there's no point in pretending otherwise," she coughed again, "Besides, you're here, like a story come to life. That's enough for me."

Jack forced himself to smile, although he wanted to break down. He spent the rest of the night there, holding her while she died. He told her funny stories, and showed her how to make a snowball. Her weak laughter made him happy, and he took a little comfort in that at least he could do this much for her.

When she breathed her last she was smiling, and Jack took a shaky breath. The sun was poking up over the horizon and he could hear the roar of planes as more German bombers came in from over the channel. He placed her body with her mother's, picking up her abandoned coat and draping it over the two of them. Sirens were starting back up and he took that as his queue to leave.

As a final good bye he kissed her fore head. Death had given her a peaceful expression, her last smile lingering on her face.

"Good bye, Elizabeth. Sleep well."


	6. Chapter 5: Disaster

** One shot based on idea from: jackfrost-guardian-of-fun from tumblr who asked for a disaster, bombing or zombie apocalypse.**

**Prompt 2: Disaster (Not really sure why I decided this would be a good one for disaster…. Since it will probably hit close to home for all of us. I'll try not to make it too angsty. This one is about their relationship with a girl who lost her parents in 9-11. Warnings: Suicide, death, mentions of depression and cutting. Not sure if that counts as a trigger but if you think that you shouldn't read then don't. I don't want angry reviews if I can help it. Enjoy.) **

"On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airliners and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Often referred to as 9/11, the attacks resulted in extensive death and destruction, triggering major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism and defining the presidency of George W. Bush. Over 3,000 people were killed during the attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., including more than 400 police officers and firefighters." Information from history . com. **(I don't remember the plane actually hitting the Pentagon, I thought it was shot down before it could actually hit… well you get the idea)**

"Poor kid. To loose so much so young, I'm almost not surprised she ended up like this."

"Bunny, please be sensitive. I wish we could have done more, you know."

"Tooth she had stopped believing years ago. There was nothing we could do."

"But North, there had too have been something. She believed for so long…"

"Longer than she should have, Tooth and you know it. We did all we could."

The Guardians were attending the funeral of a young girl, a teenager to be precise. They remained hidden in the background, incase any children there saw them, but it seemed unlikely. It was sad, somber event. It wasn't often that such a strong believer committed suicide.

The girl's name was Jasmine, a child who had been orphaned at young age during the 9-11 disaster. Her parents had died when the first tower fell, choosing to fall to their deaths, hand in hand, than burn in the collapsing building. At the time the girl had been four years old, too young to understand that her parents were never coming home. Her grandmother had taught her to believe in the Guardians, and until a few years ago, she had been one of the most ardent of believers.

When the Guardians had decided that they should have a little bit of a closer relationship with their believers they began making a point of allowing themselves to be seen more often, to keep the legends alive.

This girl in particular Tooth grew attached too. Jasmine had been odd. At thirteen she still believed, even though she had stopped receiving presents from Santa, and no longer received visits from the Tooth Fairy. It had intrigued her. One day she gave Baby Tooth charge of the palace and sought her out.

The girl lived with her grandmother in a more rural part of New York. She seemed to be a loner, with few friends. It was hard to be a believer and not be considered weird, especially at her age. Her light was close to flickering out, as it should have years ago. But then Tooth showed up at her window.

Tooth had come flying back the next day, excited, and babbling about their conversation. The bright and bubbly fairy seemed to have had the night of her life connecting with this angsty teenager. She hadn't even noticed that anything was wrong.

But Jack did notice. The next night he went with Tooth, and although the conversation had been happy, and spirited, he could tell right off the bat that something was wrong. Her smiles were forced, and she was closed off when certain subjects were brought up. The very mention of her parents caused her to shut down completely. Tooth never even seemed to noticed.

One day he came by himself, waiting for Jasmine to come home after school. He had noticed her light flickering in and out of existence, so he felt he should check it out before Tooth flew over in a panic.

"Oh Jack, its just you. You scared me…."

He had been lounging on her bed when she entered, her mascara running down her face. She had obviously been crying. She made a hurried effort to roll down her sleeves, but Jack reached out and took her hand, stopping her.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"Its nothing, Jack, I'm fine," she pulled her arm away and turned away, pulling her hoodie sleeves down over her scarred and bleeding arms. Jack pretended not to notice them for the moment.

"Then why are you crying?"

Jasmine turned back around and stared at him, rubbing at her eyes.

"You know, sometimes its really hard to believe that you all are real," she said.

Jack nodded, noting that she seemed to be hesitating.

"You can say whatever you want, I'm not going to be offended."

Jasmine had to laugh at that and sat down next to him on the bed. Jack gave her an encouraging smile.

"I'm an orphan you know…. My parents died when I was very young… at the World Trade Center. They both worked there, on the upper floors,"

Jack remembered 9-11 vividly. It had been September, and he shouldn't have even been in that part of the world to begin with, but he had never been one to follow the rules, even the laws of nature.

He had followed the first plane as it flew over New York. He could feel it in his gut that something was wrong. At the time he couldn't have explained it, now he knew it was just an instinct he had as a Guardian.

When the first plane hit he had felt his stomach drop and pure horror course through his body. Being invisible there was nothing he could do to stop what was happening. He watched the buildings burn, people fall to their deaths, and rescue crews run in and lose their own lives as the buildings finally collapsed in on themselves. It wasn't a memory he cared to relive, and he had been the only Guardian present, even if he hadn't know he was one at the time.

"I remember," he said softly, "It was horrible disaster, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I'm sorry to hear about your parents."

"It's alright… I hardly remember them," she curled in on herself, resting her knees on her chin, "Its hard being an orphan. Everyone at school thinks I'm a freak already for not having any parents. I don't do normal things, I don't have "normal" memories. I've never taken a family vacation. I lost so much when they died.

"My grandma always told me never to worry, that they were safe up in heaven and that there was always someone watching over me. She taught me all of the legends of the Guardians, and that's what I clung too. I never had any friends, the stories were the closest I got.

"The bullying…. It's getting worse Jack, and my grandma's dying. I can see it every day. The cancer is taking its toll on her and I don't have anyone else. What am I supposed to do when she's gone? I don't want to go into foster care."

Jack wasn't sure what to do, or say. He was no stranger to depression. Three hundred years had resulted in multiple suicide attempts, and even the extremities of cutting, and other forms of self-harm. He knew what loneliness felt like, and it was not a feeling he ever wished on anyone.

That was a period of his life he never talked about, even to the other Guardians. They didn't have the slightest clue as to what really went on in his previous life and he preferred to keep it that way.

He might be able to use this experience to help this human girl though.

Wordlessly he rolled up the sleeve of his hoodie, baring his arm for her to see. The scars were faint but they were there. He doubted they would ever fade.

"I know what loneliness feels like Jasmine. And I swear to you that no matter what happens, I'll do everything in my power to help you. Just," Jack rolled his sleeve down and met her wide eyes, "please don't hurt yourself anymore."

In that same year the Jasmine's grandmother died as well as her belief in the Guardians. Jack knew it was for the best, as well as his other Guardians, but that didn't make it hurt any less. He made it a point to check up on her as she was shuffled from foster family to foster family. No body seemed to want a girl like her, with so much emotional baggage and problems.

But he did keep his promise. Even if she couldn't see him he did his best to make her feel like there was someone watching over her. In the winter he drew pictures on her window when she wasn't looking, or used the wind to flip open a book to her favorite passage, whenever she collapsed back into her depression. And for a couple years that was enough.

Then during the last year she couldn't handle her life anymore, the constant shuffle between families, he overwhelming depression and negative emotions, and one day when Jack showed up to check on her he found her dead body.

Now, today standing at her funeral, he remembered his promise. He was supposed to help her, and he had done everything he possibly could. It didn't make him feel any less miserable and guilty.

As his fellow Guardians conversed in whispers he couldn't handle it anymore and he turned away from the tiny funeral and took to the sky. He had been quiet during the whole process, unable to bring himself to speak. The other four would come after him he knew, but he didn't care. He couldn't stay there anymore.

"Jack? Are you alright?"

Tooth found him on the roof of a nearby house, watching the sunset. He saw the Sandman poke his head out from behind her small form, a concerned expression on his face. The other two were close behind, no doubt.

"I'm fine Tooth. I just needed to get away that's all," he looked her in the eye and he could see that she didn't seem satisfied by the answer, "Seriously Tooth, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me so much."

"You were the closest to her," she said simply.

"Yeah. People die all the time Tooth. We can't change that. No matter how much we want it too," he turned his head away so she couldn't see his expression.

"I know… this just feels different."

"Because we know they were and there was nothing we could do to stop it," said Bunny. So he had caught up. North must be here too then, "Its okay to cry you know."

"I know," Jack rubbed his arm where his scars were, remembering Jasmine's fresh ones the day he found her body, "Her dying is just bringing up some bad memories."

"Bad memories?" asked North.

"I can't talk about it… not yet," when he saw the hurt and confusion on their faces he smiled, "Its not that I don't trust you, I'm just not ready to talk about it yet."

"Well whenever your ready, we'll be here," Tooth said. She sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. Jack smiled and wrapped his arm around her.

"Thanks Tooth."

**There will be a continuation of this at some point when Jack talks to the Guardians about his past. **


	7. Chapter 6: Zombie Apocolypse

**Prompt 3: Zombie Apocalypse Human AU Inspired by Radioactive by Imagine Dragons**

**Never done anything like this before, and I've only seen a few Zombie horror movies... So I apologize if this seems a little Warm Bodiesish... not my intention but that was the last Zombie movie I saw. The other one was The Crazies which doesn't really count cause its not really zombie...**

Jack held Tooth in his arms, breathing in the scent of her dirty black hair as she caught a precious few hours of sleep. His shotgun was propped up next to them, incase the monsters came back. Sanderson, also known as Sandy, was standing look out, his round shape blocking out the sunlight coming in from the alleyway entrance. North, an older man with graying hair, was also awake, carving on a stick of wood with his knife.

The only ones missing were Aster and Nightlight, who had left on a desperate search for their friend Manny.

Tooth stirred in his arms and Jack tightened his grip on her. Her small, lithe form was covered in various scratches and her dark clothes were badly damaged. Jack couldn't help but blame himself for it. If only he had gotten to her sooner, before he had realized that Pitch was infected. He had trusted the man, and Tooth had almost ended up dead because of it. Or undead in technical terms.

He should be glad that she was alive, he knew, and not infected. Jack had seen the infection coming though, and their efforts to stop it before it happened had proved to be in vain. His fiancé didn't need to know that though. She was convinced that they would all make it out alive. If only things were that simple.

"Is she alright?"

Jack met North's worried eyes and forced a smile. He had always been the most optimistic of the group. For all they knew, they were the last humans on Earth. Despite that he always managed to keep them hoping. Smiling. Laughing.

He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it up.

"She's fine. She just needs sleep," Jack ran his fingers through her hair.

He heard a sharp tap on the wall, and looked over to where Sandy was standing.

"What's wrong?"

The little man pointed out into the street and North stood. Jack watched him go, knowing that he wouldn't be far.

"We need to move. Jack, wake up Tooth."

Jack shook Tooth gently, who let out a groan and tried to nuzzle back into his chest.

"Five more minutes?"

"North says we need to leave. Come on."

Jack pulled her to her feet, allowing her to use his body to steady herself.

"What's going on?" she asked, as she picked up her weapon. The pistol wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. Jack took a moment to load his shotgun.

"Sandy saw some of the monsters. We should leave before they catch wind of us."

"What about Aster and Nightlight?" Jack asked.

"They should have been back by now," Tooth added.

North shook his head, "We'll have to leave them. You know the rules."

"But North, what if they're hurt? We can't just leave them."

"Tooth…" Jack took her head in his hands and looked into her eyes. He hated seeing her so distressed. "I don't like this any more than you do, alright. But they would want us to stay safe. Besides they could already be-"

"Don't say it Jack, please. I can't stand the thought of losing anyone else."

He nodded slowly and kissed her forehead. "Then let's just try and live to see another day."

Tooth gave him a determined nod and he couldn't help but smile. It was hard to be sad when he was talking to her. She was his own personal ray of sunshine.

There was a loud bang, and Jack could hear the sound of the monsters. It was a horrible sound. The rotting, undead, human flesh couldn't speak; all it could do was groan and moan. He ran is fingers though his brown hair nervously. He hated killing, even things that were already dead.

"North, take Tooth and go. We'll cover for you."

North looked like he wanted to protest but Tooth took his arm and they slipped away quietly. Jack trusted North with his life, and he new Tooth would be in capable hands.

He saw Sandy give him a look and Jack glared at him.

"Don't look at me like that. I had to do it. I didn't think she'd want to see this…"

Across the parking lot in front of them was a large group of them, zombies as Aster enjoyed calling them. They were crawling over cars, like an infestation. They moved slowly, but in mass they were infinitely more dangerous than they were alone.

Jack prepared his weapon and clicked it of safety. He didn't like was he was seeing. At the head of the procession were children, some of which Jack knew. His heart broke at the sight of a blood covered Pippa, making her way slowly over to them. At her side was Monty, and a few other of the kids from the school he taught at. But no Jamie Bennet and no Sophie. He hoped that somewhere they were still alive.

It was who was at the head of the procession that scared him the most. If even Aster had succumbed to the monsters, what sort of chance did they stand? His only comfort lay in the fact that Tooth was far away and wouldn't see.

"I don't see Nightlight," Jack pointed out to Sandy. The little man shrugged and raised his weapon, taking aim. Jack did the same, taking a deep breath.

"You take the ones on the left, I'll take the ones on the right?"

Sandy, as usual gave no answer. One of the creatures came in sight and he shot at it forcing the creature to stumble backwards. Jack took aim at another, noting how they both seemed to be avoiding Aster and the children. He couldn't bring himself to shoot them.

After a few minutes of battle, it was obvious that they were losing.

"We should go find the others-," Jack started,

Only to have a blood covered, rotting hand cover his mouth from behind. Jack wrenched himself free and raised his weapon, only to find himself looking into Aster's dead eyes. Sandy had fought his way out of the mass and was backing up slowly towards where the other two had gone. Jack caught his eye and the man gave him a desperate shake of the head. They needed to leave, Aster was gone. There was nothing they could do.

Aster grabbed Jack's arm and twisted, causing the young man to cry out. He kicked at the larger man's, if he could still be called that, chest and felt him stumble backwards. He dientagled himself from the rotting flesh and raised his weapon to shoot.

But he couldn't.

"Aster, please. You know me. Its Jack."

The creature with Aster's face hesitated and for a moment there was spark behind those dead eyes.

"R-r-r-u-u-n-n."

Jack paused for a moment in surprise, only to see a pair of limbs trying to push Aster out of the way. Jack shot at them, blowing the fingers off and turned away. He ran, against his better judgment, but he ran.

"Sandy! Come on!" he grabbed the little man's hand as he passed and lugged him along behind him as they ran for their "safehouses." The creatures were not far behind.

Jack banged on the door desperately and North opened it. The pair rushed inside and locked the doors. They could hear the groans of the dead on the other side, and their fingernails scraping up against the metal.

"What happened Jack? You're covered in blood," Tooth said, taking his hand and leading him to a chair.

Jack looked down at his sleeve where Aster had grabbed him.

"It's not mine, Tooth, I'm fine…"

"Then whose was it?" she forced him to sit and gave him a glass of water.

"Aster's… I'm sorry Tooth... but I don't think he's coming back."

Tooth closed her eyes, and took a shuddering breath.

"Tooth," Jack started.

"No, don't… I'm sure you did all you could Jack."

Jack took a deep breath of his own. He wanted to hold her, comfort her, but her body language told him that she wouldn't thank him for it if he tried right now.

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

"We can cry later," she looked him in the eyes, while the other two looked on, "Let's just try and live to see another day."

"We'll try and find the others, if they are still alive," North promised his tone hopeful. Sandy gave him huge thumbs up.

Jack took a sip of his water and reached out to take Tooth's hand, giving them all a small smile.

"Then we'll get out of here… Together."


	8. Chapter 8: BlackIce

**T**he-darkest-shadow said: Do Blackice! With Pitch giving Jack flowers :3

**Note: This isn't a pairing I ship, however I tried it out since it was a request from one of my lovely tumblr followers. I'm sorry if it sucks. **

**Light in the Dark**

Pitch Black lived in darkness. He surrounded himself with it, breathed it. He could not imagine a world without it. He thrived on fear and the nightmare of little children. Never once had a spark of light, save for the ones on his globe, entered his lair. Of course that was before Jack Frost entered his world.

The teen annoyed him beyond comprehension. He pestered him, played tricks on him, and then refused to join his side during the War. It was almost enough to make Pitch loathe the boy.

The new Guardian, however, seemed to have it in his head that Pitch could be "saved". Pitch knew that was impossible, he could never return to the way things once were, from before he absorbed the nightmares and became a monster. He could never go back to being Kozmotis Pitchner.

The sight of the winter spirit was slowly becoming routine for him. He would show up at random points through out the day, evading his friend's watchful eyes just to see him. Pitch had long since stopped turning him away. To be honest, the boy was starting to grow on him. His optimistic view on the world, and his constant smiles were almost endearing to the nightmare king. He actually started looking forward to the visits. He wasn't quite sure how to put his new found feelings into words.

Is this what you would call… a crush?

He wasn't entirely sure. In his immortal life he had never had a crush… or any romantic relations at all with anyone. He had dedicated the whole of his existence to eradicating the Guardians and reclaiming power for himself. That plan had long since collapsed, and now he was unsure of what to do.

Maybe being on friendly relations with the youngest Guardian wouldn't be so bad.

If he looked at it from an evil super-villain viewpoint Jack's trust and friendship could benefit him and his plans to rise to power. From the viewpoint of a lonely man he simply saw the value of having a friend, albeit a younger and annoying one, but still a friend.

The question was, how to convince him?

He knew, despite the frequent visits and conversations with Jack, the boy still didn't trust him. The feelings from their confrontation in Antarctica still lingered, as well as what he had done in their last war. He couldn't possibly erase the past or the affect it had had on both of them.

He dimly remembered Jack telling him about Bunny's Warden. He hadn't gone into detail, but he wouldn't stop talking about how colorful it was, and how the flowers created the eggs, and sprayed paint. He had spent a large amount to of time comparing it to Wonderland. Pitch couldn't help but wonder if the idiot had ever seen vegetation before. From the way he spoke of it he didn't think it was a large part of his everyday existence.

One day, when he knew that the Guardians would be busy with other duties to notice him, Pitch snuck out of his lair. He figured the best way to get Jack to at least consider the idea would be to do something for him. He had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to give him.

Later that night, Jack showed up, looking more exhausted than usual, but with that white-toothed smile that both intrigued and angered him. The winter spirit leaned up against one of the walls, completely unafraid of Pitch or his creepy home. Pitch kept his back turned to him, choosing to ignore him for the present. He wanted to leave him in suspense.

"Whatcha doing?" Jack came up behind him and tried to peak over his shoulder. Pitch pushed him out of the way with one arm, almost lazily.

"It's none of your business, Frost. Why don't you go and bother someone else?"

"But I'm here," Jack tapped him with his staff, trying to get him to turn around. Pitch shoved it away, ignoring the frost covering his clothes. He really needed to learn how to control his powers. He turned around, hiding his gift behind his back. This wasn't going to be big on dignity, and he could feel his pride shattering. He shouldn't have to lower himself to a mere child. But he didn't want to be alone anymore.

He thrust the bouquet he had created in Jack's face, completely aware of the fact that his normally grey face was a bright red color, and the pounding of his heart in his chest. He was the Nightmare King. No mere boy should make him feel this way dammit.

Jack stared at the brightly colored flowers, his confusion evident. Pitch caught a slight blush on his normally pale face. He accepted them hesitantly, watching in fascination as frost coated the delicate buds.

"Um… thanks, Pitch," Jack lifted the petals to his face and smelled them. Pitch could feel his blue eyes on him, while he stood there fidgeting.

"You're always so nice to me, even though I don't deserve it. So I thought I would do something nice for you," Pitch turned around, "Now go away. I have things to do."

He didn't want to see the look on his face, he didn't want to know if he was rejected or not, he just wanted to be left alone.

He didn't hear the spirit leave, so he assumed he was still there. He chose to ignore him, at least for now. Maybe if he ignored him he would go away.

He was wallowing in his own embarrassment when he felt thin, cold arms wrap around his torso. He felt a blush creep up his face, but he didn't push him away. He couldn't bring himself to.

"You know Pitch… maybe the others were wrong about you," Jack's voice was a little muffled but Pitch heard him loud and clear.

"Maybe… you're not so bad after all."


	9. Medival AU! Teaser

**This is the beginnings of a full length fanfiction I am writing. It won't be posted for a while, so I thought I would give you all some of Chapter 1 and gauge your reactions. This is an AU, in which four of the Guardians are rulers of four separate Kingdoms based off the Seasons. I've always loved the idea of Winter Prince Jack, and I've recently been reading the first four books in the Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire series), and Hetalia Card Verse fics. And so, this was born. **

**It will contain minor OC's, only because there are just not enough ROTG characters for what I am trying to do. Also, characters from the Guardians of Childhood should be making appearances. **

Jack was making his way through the streets of his kingdom, clothed in pauper's clothes. He liked doing this, sneaking out of the castle, away from his guards, and just being among his people. The Winter Kingdom was always a cold, harsh place, but that didn't mean that the people were. The people wore bright colors, laughed and played games in the streets. It was one of the many ways they stayed positive. A nearly impossible feat, given the constant warfare in the land.

The Land of Seasons had its own list of problems. For one, none of the four kingdoms that inhabited the land mass got along. They each had their own agendas, and could never agree on anything. Old rivalries were constantly stirring, starting unnecessary warfare. This happened often, though Jack always did his best to keep his kingdom out of the conflicts.

In the Spring Kingdom, Prince Aster E. Bunnymund, called Bunny by the common folk, ruled with an iron fist. His rough body was lined in tattoos, and he was a well-trained fighter. He disliked killing but he enjoyed conflict. It was one of the many reasons he chose to fight with boomerangs as apposed to more traditional weaponry.

The Summer Kingdom was ruled by a kind, yet stern Queen, called Toothiana, or simply Tooth to her subjects. She seemed sweet on the outside, however underneath her feathered dresses and smiles was a hard ruler. She could wield a sword as well as any other man, and the ranks of her army were primarily women. That's not to say that men could not fight, however the Summer Kingdom had a tradition of female warriors. They were not to be messed with, as they could be just as dangerous as their queen.

The Autumn Kingdom was ruled by a short, mute man, who was called Sanderson ManSnozzie, or Sandy. His technical title was Prince, however he disliked the term. Like Jack, he chose to keep his kingdom out of disputes when he could. However when he was required to take up arms, he had a formidable Calvary and far range bowmen. He usually only intervened when the end was near, and he was constantly holding peace councils.

That left Jackson Overland Frost, who held land up in the North, a harsh, desolate place where nearly nothing grew. He was the youngest Prince out of the four rulers. He had only come to the throne in the past couple of years, when his parents had died of unexpected illness. He was barely seventeen, and disliked responsibility. Nicholas St. North, his advisor, and uncle was constantly confining him and forcing him to preform his duties.

Let it be said though, that Jack was not a completely lost cause. He loved his people with all of his heart. He would lay his life down for them if he had to. He always did his best to rule fairly and justly. He was wise beyond his years, thanks to having to grown up so fast after his parent's death. Not to mention he had a little sister to care for. Pippa was young, barely eleven, but very smart, witty.

"Your Highness? What brings you here today?"

Jack smiled at the woman who had caught him, and lowered the hood of his blue clock, revealing his silvery hair. He had been born albino, except for startling blue eye. As a child he had always been teased because of it, but he had never let that bother him.

"Just wandering through, Bertha," he placed a silver coin on the wooden counter and took a piece of warm bread from the basket she had just placed there. Bertha had been his wet nurse when he was little, before she had married a baker in town near the castle. Now she and her husband ran the little shop together along with their two children. Jack always enjoyed visiting.

Bertha gave him a disapproving look, "I keep telling you, you don't have to pay for anything."

"What kind of Prince would I be if I didn't give what is owed? I always pay my debts, Bertha, you know that," he grinned at her as she reluctantly took the money off the counter, hiding it in a bite of bread. It was still soft.

"I've heard rumors of that troublesome Bunny stirring up trouble again," she said nonchalantly, placing a large slab of dough on the counter. She always pretended to be indifferent about the state of things in the surrounding kingdoms, but Jack could tell she was nervous. She only ever made large amounts of bread when she was nervous. She claimed kneading the dough helped calm her nerves.

"Its just the usual riff-raff. He'll be over it in a week, I imagine," Jack finished his bread, and leaned up against the doorframe, watching her like he had as a toddler. There was something nostalgic about it.

Bertha didn't seem satisfied by his answer, "I hope you're not taking this lightly, Jackson. He's held a grudge against you since the last Meeting. He may try and drag you into the conflict."

Meetings took place almost every month, during peacetimes, which was never often. They had been taking place for centuries. The idea behind their creation was that the four kingdoms could meet and discuss ways to work together. However they usually ended in loud debates and often times fights. Not even Sandy could hope to keep the peace during these tense days.

Jack laughed and leaned over the counter to kiss Bertha on the cheek, covering himself in flour in the process, "I promise you I'm not, Bertha. I will do everything in my power to keep this kingdom out of war. I always have."

Bertha didn't smile often; she was a hard women, accustomed to hard work and hard times. But Jack almost thought he caught one as she nodded and went back to her kneading.

"Sometimes I worry about you, Jack. You are still very young and carefree. Yet I do I have to say, you always seem to do the right thing. I trust you," she tossed him another bread roll, "Take that one, on the house. You have a long walk back to the castle."

Jack took that as his cue to leave and stole out the front door. He put his hood back up and grabbed his shepherd crook from where he had left it up against the outside wall. Bertha disliked it whenever he took it inside. He had found it years ago in his fathers armory, and he preferred to use it in self-defense as opposed to swords. He had never been good with those.

He continued to walk the streets, buying something here and there. The adults he came across recognized him, and gave him warm smiles and profound thank you's when they realized who had bought their merchandise. The children seemed to sense their parent's admiration and respect for this hooded stranger and came up to him, full of questions.

"Come back here. His Highness doesn't need to be bothered by children," one of the mothers chided the children.

Jack shook his head and lowered his hood, "On the contrary, I don't mind." He leaned down to the height of the assembled children, a group of about ten boy and girls, between the ages of two to ten.

"Hey do any of you know how to build a snowman?"


	10. Chapter 10: Memories

**Hullo (An anonymous guest) requested the scene where Jack tells the Guardians about his past. There is some headcannon stuff in here that I've always wanted to write. If you don't like it then too bad. **

Jack was watching a group of teenagers wander through the streets of Burgess. They were bundled up in winter coats, with bright scarves and ear muffs. The boys were holding hands with the girls, and those who were single were either flirting or joking around.

This was a part of winter that he liked the most. The freezing cold and bitter winds brought people closer together. There was a reason so many love songs and stories were set in the winter time. Cupid particularly enjoyed New Year's kisses, and mistletoe. Don't ask how he knew that.

Jack had always spent the season alone, just as every other day in life. Even though he had become a Guardian years ago he never expected that to change. The others were busy, preparing for Christmas or collecting teeth, or giving dreams, and in Bunny's case, trying to devise new plans for next Easter. He didn't expect to hear from them anytime soon.

But still it was Christmas Eve and he wasn't about to mope around. He jumped off his perch on Jamie's roof, searching the streets for signs of the teenager. Jamie was 17 now, and still hadn't stopped believing, although they never actually spoke to each other in the open. He didn't want anyone to think that he was insane, and Jack agreed.

Jack found him sitting on a bench with Pippa, who had stopped believing years ago. Jamie had been upset by it at the time, but Jack had convinced him that it happened all the time. That was true. That didn't mean it hadn't hurt any less.

Jamie looked a lot like he had at his age, though he was taller, more robust with more of his father's looks than the small amount of looks that had come from his mother's side of the family. The two friends were talking in low voices. Jamie looked nervous, like he was going to throw up.

Jack ducked down behind a tree branch so he could watch them without being noticed. A few moments later a small rather chubby man with wings and a toga sat down next to him.

"Young love… its wonderful isn't it?"

Jack would have jumped out of his skin, if he hadn't already met Cupid. He had developed somewhat tentative relationships with other spirits since becoming a Guardian. Cupid was one of the ones he got along with best, mostly because he was always cheerful and full of life, if you could get past the sappy love talk.

"Is that what I'm looking at?"

Cupid laughed, "Bennet has had a crush on Pippa since he was 10. I'm surprised he hasn't told you."

"I'm not exactly the first person he would go to for romance advice," Jack laughed.

"I don't see why he wouldn't," Cupid winked at him, "You weren't exactly…how to they put it…forever alone when you were a human."

Jack felt his cheeks burn, a rare blush coloring his face, "Shut up. How would you know?"

"I always know. I was there when you first kissed Elizabeth Burgess you know. You two were so adorable. It's too bad her father was such an asshole."

Jack could see that moment in his mind. It had been one of the best days of his human life. He shook his head, clearing away the memory.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything. The past is in the past."

"But you've wondered haven't you?" Cupid raised his eyebrow at him. Jack couldn't deny it. Ever since he had gotten his memories back he had wondered. She would always be one of his biggest, what ifs.

"She would have married you, you know. She really did love you."

Jack sighed, "Like I said the past is the past. I don't care about what she would have done."

"Her father married her off to this guy. William Hernondale. He came over from England. He was nice enough I guess. But she never loved him, and he never loved her. Burgess married her as soon as possible to avoid a scandal. Still," Cupid smiled in the couple's direction, "her descendants came out pretty cute."

Jack almost fell out of the tree, "Pippa? Are you serious?"

"No. I was actually talking about Jamie," Cupid sighed, "I swear you are so dense. Just because I'm a guy doesn't mean I have a preference."

"Okay…."

"Haven't you wondered why Jamie looks so much like you?"

Jack shrugged, "I just assumed he was related to my sister or something. It's been 300 years. Genes interact."

"300 years isn't so long, generation wise. America is still a very young country," Cupid grinned as he fingered one of his love arrows, "These two are being so slow. I may have to speed things up a bit."

Jack rolled his eyes, "You were saying?"

"Oh right. Well as I was saying: Hernondale only agreed to marry her because she was rich. They had only known each other for a few weeks. It didn't matter to him she was pregnant with another man's child."

This time Jack actually did fall out of the tree. He caught himself of a branch and climbed back up next to Cupid.

"I'm sorry. What?"

Cupid eyed him, "I thought you said you didn't care?"

"Well you've started. You might as well finish."

"That sounds oddly sexual."

"No."

"You're no fun," Cupid drew his bow and took aim in Jamie and Pippa's direction, "It was obvious to everyone that the girl was yours. But no one said anything. I know your sister asked Elizabeth about it in private, but that was about all the investigation anyone did. Everyone was afraid of tarnishing her reputation, as good as it was. At the root of it I think everyone was more scared of her father. You know how finicky he was about the way his family looked. Not to mention he terrified the hell out of everyone."

Jack let that new information sink in. He had had a daughter. He wondered if she had ever been one of the people that had walked through him. Probably. It was so long ago he couldn't even begin to picture what he looked like.

"So Jamie's what? A really, really great-grandson?"

"Something like that," Cupid sighed in frustration, "by the Moon, boy WHAT are you doing?"

"He's not doing anything…" Jack pointed out.

"Exactly! He's not going to get the girl just sitting there stuttering like an idiot." Cupid shot an arrow at Jamie, but missed. "Curses… my aim is off."

"Did… did she ever know?" Jack had to ask. He had to know.

"Elizabeth told her, but she never talked about you around William or her half-siblings. She used to do work for your father when she was older, and I know your family was very kind to her. It's how she met John Bennet. And the rest," this time Cupid hit his target, right on Jamie's heart, "Is history."

Jack smiled at Jamie as he saw him jolt and stare down at the arrow in his chest. Being a believer Jamie probably knew exactly what it was. He shrugged and gave Pippa an intense look. Jack was pretty sure he himself had had that expression before.

"What was her name?"

Cupid shrugged, "I think it was Jaclyn, Jaclyn Hernondale. Like I said, reputations and appearances were everything."

Down below them Jamie and Pippa were kissing, "I believe my work here is done." Cupid righted himself on the branch and fluttered his wings.

"Thanks Cupid."

"No problem," Cupid grinned at him, "Always glad to be of service. You should go."

"Go?" Jack asked. Then he saw the lights. North was calling a meeting on Christmas Eve?

"Wonder what's happened…"

"North's probably just being paranoid. He's been seeing Pitch in every corner for months now," Cupid shrugged, "Good luck."

Jack stared at him, confused, "With what?"

Cupid simply winked at him and disappeared in a cascade of hearts. Jack sighed and looked down at Jamie and Pippa. They were still going at it. He dimly wondered if they were even breathing.

When he got to the Pole he realized that he was the last one there. The workshop was in chaos, even in the Globe room, where the others were waiting. Yeti's were everywhere, throwing toys and wrapping paper everywhere.

"Jack!" Tooth flew up to him and his heart did a little tap dance. He didn't want to admit it, but he really liked Tooth, way more than he should. He took a deep breath and grinned at her. Unbidden his thoughts drifted back to Elizabeth and Jaclyn. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought. It was 300 years ago. He shouldn't feel like he was betraying her. They hadn't even been married for Manny's sake.

Tooth was giving him a concerned look, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just ran into Cupid. He gave me some information about my past life that I hadn't known before. It's still going through my head."

"How come you'll tell him and not us?" Tooth sounded sad, and he immediately felt guilty.

"I just. I can't. Not yet, Tooth. I'm sorry."

She smiled, "Well whenever you're ready, Jack. We'll be here." They had all told him about who they had been before. He felt bad for not returning the favor.

"Thanks Tooth."

They moved over to the other Guardians, who were already deep in discussion. At least, Bunny and North were. If arguing can be called deep in discussion.

"You're being paranoid mate! There is no way Pitch has gathered enough power to as much as step into the light of day."

"I still say we should be on our guard!"

"And I agree with you mate. But you're acting like one of us is going to die. We're pretty hard to kill, and I'm pretty sure Sandy is the only one here can attest to that."

Sandy didn't seem happy to have that part of his life brought up again, but he, as usual, was silent.

"Actually that's not true."

Bunny and North turned to face him, and suddenly Jack was starting to really regret his decision.

"Didn't notice you there Jack. Hello!"

"What are you talking about mate? Can't you see we're trying to argue?"

Jack took a deep breath, "And you can go back to that in a second. I just wanted to make sure you have your facts straight…

"I died when I was still human. I was 18, and was trying to save my sister who was stuck on thin ice. I managed to save her but ended up on the thin ice myself. I drowned…" he shifted uncomfortably under their silent gazes, "When I woke up I didn't remember anything… and I was as you see me now."

The three other males in the group where staring at him with open mouths. Tooth was biting the inside of her lip, like she wasn't sure to be happy that he was finally confiding in them or upset by what he had just said.

"Well then…" Bunny finally said, "I stand corrected."

Jack smiled, glad for the relieved tension. They were taking this better than he had thought they would have.

Sandy was giving him a sympathetic look, and Jack made a mental note to ask him what his time in the afterlife had been like. All Jack remembered was a lot of darkness.

"That was a really brave thing to do," Tooth said, "Were you scared?"

Jack laughed, "Terrified. But I'm over it now. The past is the past. Speaking of which, I have something else I want to tell you guys."

He told them about Elizabeth and Jaclyn, about Jamie being directly related to him through his daughter. Tooth had bug eyes, and North looked like he was trying hard not to laugh. Sandy was giving him thumbs up.

"Jack… you scandalous little shit."

Bunny's comment immediately made him burst out laughing.

"Well I was prone to do stupid things. That was just one of the more life altering ones… If I had been around things probably would have ended up differently," he shrugged, "It doesn't matter anymore. Anyways shouldn't we get back to the meeting? North, you have to leave soon don't you?"

"Yes. Jack, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."

Jack froze, "Go with you?"

"Why not? Being alone delivering presents isn't always fun, and you could do your job when you're not helping me. How does that sound?"

Jack grinned, realizing that this was the best Christmas present he would probably ever get.

"I'll do it! Thanks so much North!"

The Cossack laughed, "You're welcome. We should get going. Follow me."

As Jack followed North through the workshop he thought back to the scene before. Tooth hadn't reacted to his announcement about Elizabeth at all. If anything, she had seemed…. Angry.

Angry? Why was she angry? Jack mulled that over in his head, considering all the possibilities.

When he and North returned on Christmas Day, Jack found Tooth sitting by the fire, her arms wrapped around her knees. Concerned he sat down next to her. The others had left a long time ago, and his time with North had been one of the best nights of his life.

"Tooth? What's wrong?"

She sighed and shook her head, "It's nothing. Sandy says I'm being stupid. I don't know…"

"About what? You know you can tell me anything."

Tooth looked him straight in the eyes.

"You know… I've liked you for a really long time. Like, even before I met you I heard stories…." She sighed and stared at the dying flames, "When I heard you talking about your past life, and about Elizabeth I got jealous. That's all. It's stupid really. I shouldn't be jealous of people who lived 300 years ago."

"I don't think that's stupid," Jack put an arm around her shoulder, "If you were to tell me about some guy you used to be with I would be a little jealous too."

Tooth stared at him like he had two heads, "Why?"

"Isn't it obvious. I," he took a deep breath, "I like you too, Tooth. I really mean that."

They sat there for a moment staring at the fire.

"I guess I was being stupid huh."

"I already said that you weren't being stupid, Tooth. Don't change the subject."

She laughed at that and his heart skipped a beat.

"So… what now?"

Jack sighed, "I don't know."

"What did you do with Elizabeth when you told her you like her?"

Jack blushed for the second time that day.

"I'm pretty sure… I'm pretty sure I kissed her."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Jack laughed, "Nothing I guess." He lifted his hand and stroked his thumb across her delicate lips. Her skin was soft, as where her feathers. She was perfect.

He pressed his lips against hers and let out a contented sigh when he felt her kiss back. It had been so long since he had felt this way.

"Tooth…"

"Shut up." She kissed him again, this time with more force.

After that there was no more talking.

**I got a little OOC at the end there...**

**Also the first chapter for my new ROTG fanfic that the teaser was for last chapter should be up soon. I will most likely post it after this one is publihed, so keep your eyes out for it.**


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